License-sign for automobiles.



. H. BREWSTER.

LICENSE SIGN FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATIQN HLED MAY 26, 1916.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

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APPLICATION FILED MAY26. I9I6- 1,219,236 Patented Mar.13, 1917.

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ATTORNEYS" H. BREWSTER. LICENSE SIGN FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION men MAY 26. ms.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- I I MH/ENTUR ATTORNEYS WITNESSES 5 A r an on.

HENRY BREWSTER, OF YORK, NQ Y.

LICENSE-SIGN FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

Application filed May 26, 1916. Serial No. 100,104.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that l. llhxnv Bnmvs'i'nn, a citizen of the Fluted States,and a resident of New York. in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have made certain new and useful Improvements in License Signs forAutomobiles, of which the following is a specification.-

My present invention relates generally to the license signs ofautomobiles, and more particularly to a rigid sign which may be plainlyseen both in daylight and at night, my object being to provide a licensesign by which imwarranted change of numbers or removal thereof in caseof accident, overspecding or la\\'-brcaking expeditions may be entirelyprevented.

In carrying out my invention I. preferably mount changeable lettercarrying means withina lamp box in such manner that the letters may beplainly seen without a light in the day time and a light within the boxat night, and in such manner that these numbers and other indicatingfeatures as to the home locality for instance of the machine may be heldagainst disarrangeinent, removal or change within the box and inconnection with a part thereof.

The means utilized in. carrying out my invention may be betterunderstood from the following description, reference being made to theaccompanyingdrawings forming part of this specification, and wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view illustrating a practical application ofmy invention.

Fig. 1 is a similar view illustrating my invention set into the rearportion of a vehicle.

Fig. .2 is a front elevation illustrating my invention removed.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken therethrough substantially on line3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. d is a similar view taken therethrough substantiallyon line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detailed perspective view of a portion of the box cover andthe interme' diate frame showing the connections therebetween.

Fig. 6 is a detailed perspective view of one inner corner portion of thebox cover.

Fig. 7 ,-is a detailed perspective view of the inner letter carryingframe.

Fig. 8 is a similar view of the inner carry mg frame of the upper hood,and,

Fig. 9 is a detailed.perspective view of one of the license numbers. 7

Referring now to these figures, the license sign as proposedby myinvention may be suitably mounted in connection with the rear portion ofan alliomobile, for instance, in the position illus rated in Fig. 1,although it is to be understood that this position may be changed atwill, as desired, and is probably necessary in connection with vehiclesof different types.

Suitably mounted, my invention preferably comprises a lamp box 10,enerally rectangular in shape, and open at its front, the latter beingclosed by a skeleton'cover 11 hinged at its lower edge at 12 to thelower edge of the body adjacent its front opening, and havinghorizontally extending guides 1 in which are held the outer transparentwindows 14 through which the letters, as l'iereinafter described, may bereadily viewed.

The box 10 is provided with an inner rear reflector 1:"). and withinterior lights eitherv at 16. or gas lights, as seen at 1 7,'the raysin either instance being directed forwardly by the reflector 15, so thatsuch rays will in the night time pass through translucent glasses 18 and19.

The cover 11 has flanged sides and ends 20, as best seen by reference toFigs. 5 and 0, and is provided with inwardly projecting lugs 21 adjacentits side fianges,.swivelly connected, as seen by reference to Fig. 6,and adapted for extension through "ertically slotted openings 23 in theside bars. 24 of an intermediate locking frame 25 with the said lugs 21turned in vertical position.

The side bars 2 of the intermediate locking frame 25 are also providedwith spaced lugs 26,. which are disposed in horizontal I positions, andthe apertures of which lie in alinement with the apertures of lugs 21when the latter are turned to horizontal position after passage throughthe slots 23. In this position of the parts, provision is thus made forthe reception of vertical lockrods 27, one of which is plainly seen inFig. 5, adapted to be extended through the several lugs 21 and 26 ateach side of the cover 11 in order to securely hold the locking frame 25in connection with the cover 11 and within the flanges 20 thereof, thelocking rods 27 being preferably provided with apertures at their lowerends below the lowermost lug 26 to receive a seal v ure, havingrearwardly and downwardly bent lugs 31 at its upper and lower ends forengagement with guides on the locking frame to be now described.

Each of the guides above referred to is in the form of a V-shapedribconsisting of angularly bent strips of the material of the lockingframe 2:), as indicated at 32 and particularly seen in Fig. 7, the guideribs so formed projecting forwardly from the said locking frame alongits upper and lower bars and along the upper and lower edges of itscross piece 29, the channels of the ribs being presented toward oneanother to form a guide for the translucent glasses l8 and 19 beforedescribed. Thus the ribs present outer ridges forming guides forreceiving the lugs 31 of the license numbers 30, and at the same timeconstitute the'channels for holding the glasses, the guides of the lowersection of the locking plate or frame receiving a. strip 33 which isprovided with fancifully shaped cut-out portions 34 in which the glasses19 are disposed so as to indicate the locality within a city or townwhere the automobile or vehicle is owned.

In placing the license numbers upon the locking frame 25, they are movedupon the guides 32 from the ends thereof with the locking frame detachedfrom the cover 11, the locking frame being then inserted in the coverand locked by the means previously described, and may be then sealed soas to prevent unwarranted changing. removal or shifting of the numbersin case the owner of the car desires to avoid identification. afteraccident, over speeding and the like.

The upper portion of the box 10, which latter may be-built in to therear portion of an automobile, as indicated in Fig. 1*, is preferablyprovided with an opening 35 located at a point substantially centrallyof its ends and opening into an upper centrally disposed hood 36 havingend walls 37, the upper edge of the cover 11 and the upper wall of thebox 10 having relatively engaging catches 38 at opposite sides of thehood 36 and as seen by reference to Fig. 2, where- I ception of a slide44, suitably cut out, letnipulation of the license numbers, through bythe cover 11 may be held in position over the front opening of the boxin use, and at the same time permit of access to the nterior of the boxfor the purpose of changing, regulating or repairing the light givingelements therein.

The front of the hood 36 is in the form of a cover 39 secured tothe'uppei' edge of the cover 11 at a point centrally of its upper flange20 and therefore movable with the cover when the latter is opened orclosed, the said cover 39 of the hood having outer guides 40 for thereception of the transparent glass 41 and having an inner frame 42-provided with forward guides 43 for the retered or otherwise fashionedto show the state in which the license number is granted and the year ofits grant, as forinstance plainly seen in Fig. 2.

It will thus be seen that I provide an. arrangement which willmaterially aid the public in identifying automobiles after accident, lawbreaking expeditions, and in cases of over speeding, by preventingumshifting, changing or removal thereof to avoid identification, andwhich will permit the authorities granting the licenses to adjust andseal the inner locking frame as pro vided by my invention, so as tothereafter promptly identify not only any car by its particular number,but also, by means of the indicating plate 33, the locality in which itis owned and from which it originates.

It is of course to be understood that the incandescent lamps 16 may belighted from the electric system of the car, in connection with whichthe license sign is utilized, and that the gas tips 17 may belighted'from the acetylene system in case the electrical ignitlon isnota-vailable for this purpose.

It is also to be observed from a comparison of Figs, 1 and 1, that thebox 10 may be positioned in any desired manner in con nection with theautomobile or vehicle with which it is used, and either attached thereto as shown in Fig. 1, or formed as a part thereof as shown in Fig. 1,it being a consideration of course, that the license sign disposed ineither manner shall be plainly exhibited. a

By referring to Figs. 1 and 3, it will be noted that the end walls ofthe hood 36 are provided with apertures, and with a manually adjustableinternal disk 45 also apertured and rotatable whereby to register itsapertures with those of th end walls of the hood when gas is utilized,in order to provide for egress of the products of combustion.

I claim 1. In an automobile license holder, the combination of a lampbox having a front provided with a window and with inwardly projectingswiveled and apertured' lugs, license numbers adjacent said window, alocking frame within ,the light box for connection with the said coverto prevent undetected removal of the license numbers, and havingvertical slots to receive the said lugs of the cover, andhorizontally'apertured lugs to aline with the lugs of the cover when thelatter are turned to horizontal positions, locking rods extendingthrough the apertures of the alined lugs of the cover and the lockingframe, and means for securing the rods against removal.

2. The combination with a lamp box having a cover provided with windows,of a frame disposed within the said cover, a translucent plate carriedby said frame, license numbers having lugs also carried by the frame,and means'thereby to lock the frame'within the said cover againstremoval, said frame having at its forward portion guides receiving; thesaid translucent plate and also forming means for engagement by the lugsof the license numbers to support the said numbers between thetranslucentplate and the windows of the'box,

3. The combination with a holder, of a frame within the holder, meansfor sealing the frame in connection with the holder against unwarrantedremoval, license numbers, and means carried by the frame for supportingthe said license numbers between the same and a portion of the holderwhereby to prevent removal of the numbers While the frame is locked inposition, said sealing means includinga locking member connecting theframe and box, and a seal normally preventing removal of said lockingmember whereby to obviate undetected manipulation of the license plates.

4. The combination with a lamp box having a forward drop cover and anupper opening, of a hood arranged above the opening and including aninclined upper Wall and a forward cover attached to and carried by thecover of the box, outer guides carried by the said covers for thereception-of translparent plates, and number carrying frames within thesaid covers for the purpose described.

' 5. The combination with a lamp box having a hinged cover, of a numbercarrying frame within the cover having slots, means for locking the'saidnumber carrying frame to the cover, said means including aperturedlugscarried by the cover and the said frame,

the rod.

HENRY BREWSTER.

the lugs of the cover projecting through the

